title: A prospective study on neonatal mortality and its predictors in a rural area in Burkina Faso: can MDG-4 be met by 2015?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and investigate its predictors in a rural area of Burkina Faso.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of infants born in 24 villages in Banfora region was followed until the children were 6 months old. We estimated the risk of neonatal death and used logistic regression to identify its predictors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 864 live births followed to day 28, there were 40 neonatal deaths, a NMR of 46.3 per 1000 live births (95% confidence intervals (CI): 22 to 70). Multivariable regression identified twin birth (OR=11.5, 95% CI: 4.5 to 29.8), having a nulliparous mother (odds ratio (OR)=4.3, 95% CI: 1.5 to 12.1), and birth into a polygynous household (OR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.0 to 4.7) as main predictors of neonatal death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The burden of neonatal mortality in rural Burkina Faso is very high and the observed NMRs in a predominantly rural country suggest that it is unlikely Burkina will meet fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG-4) by 2015.
authors.affiliation: Centre MURAZ Research Institute, Ministry of Health/Burkina Faso, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. hamadial@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Ouédraogo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cousens
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tylleskar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*